CABARET at the Kit Kat Club Previews- Page 6

[Bette's Turban]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 3:26pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Bette's Turban said: "Jordan Catalano said: "Yes, and I still say that in the moment of that first preview I enjoyed her. People here LOVE to bring that up to me. My opinion changed as I thought more about it and saw it again but in the moment, I enjoyed a lot of what she brought to the role. People here do love to bring that up as if I should (and I'm not saying that's your intention here) be embarrassed by that."

What specifically are you referring too?"



Funny Girl

"

Ahhh!  I respect you and always look forward to reading your thoughts on things.But for me you will always be a part of the Funny Girl revival folklore. And it is not a bad thing. 

[jakebloke]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 3:56pm

gibsons2 said: "Are there actual Playbills given to the audience?"

Yes.  There are actual playbills.  They say Kit Kat Club.  

[BentleyB]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 3:57pm

We are going a few days before the Tony Awards.   My husband does not like to have interaction with the actors in a show (he was however, fine with Great Comet when we sat on stage.) iI you had the choice of seats where would you sit, or do the tables actually have no interaction with the actors?

[BdwayLife]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 4:17pm

wish i were here2 said: "gibsons2 said: "If anyone purchased a seat in Mezz 4 and seeing the show soon, please report on the views."

Sat in Mezz 4 last night and honestly they were absolutely perfect!Sat in Row D, and the rake was perfection.There was never a moment where you felt you were craning your neck losing down and there was never any moment where it felt like you were trying tododge heads to look around to see the stage, like it was a constant full view of the action.

The best part, in my opinion,was it felt super close to the stage. When the first pic came out during invited dress,there are some curtains and things above the stage, and I was afraid it would hinder any views of the stage. I am happy to report that the curtains never blocked any view of the show, but what it did was block the view of the other big mezzanine on the other side of the theatre, so it truly felt you were in this small intimate seedy nightclub, and honestly it was amazing!

Side note:I was lucky enough to see this show in London, last year, and my biggest gripe was it always felt they were performing for the bigger audience side (like 65% of the show played to bigger side vs 35% of the show played to smaller side), idk what they did and if they did any minor updates to the staging, but the Broadway version def felt more cohesive in the round stagingand it never felt like they were performing for the other side more.Idk, maybe that's just my opinion.

All in all - I would def recommend everyone to sit in Mezz 4!"

THANK YOU FOR THIS POST!  I have been wondering what I was in for, with my seat. When tickets went on sale, I purchased a $145 ticket to Mezz 4, row E, dead center. I studied the overhang of this small mezzanine, and intuitively felt it was superior to the other, larger mezzanine, in terms of my seat proximity and cost.  Also happy to hear about the intimacy created by the curtains, and that the actors played to this side, equally. :) Can’t wait! Less than two weeks away.  

[Skip23]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 5:33pm

I love your reviews, Jordan.  Whether I agree with them or not.  They're just so....thorough...and early!!!

 

AAAAND.....I can't believe that people on this Board won't acknowledge that everything ANYONE says here ARE THEIR OPINIONS!!!!!    There's no right or wrong.   It's just YOUR OPINION!!!!!!

 

 

[BETTY22]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 5:43pm

Skip23 said: "I love your reviews, Jordan. Whether I agree with them or not. They're just so....thorough...and early!!!

I love JORDAN is a star on this list.......His is the only name I know on the board.....BRAVO....



"

 

[TBFL]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 6:13pm

I loved Amy Lennox's Sally. I get why the Olivier Awards performance was polarising, but it was still thrilling, even more so in the actual performamce.

Does Sally still use a hand held mic in some songs? That still baffles me...

[jakebloke]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 6:37pm

TBFL said: "I loved Amy Lennox's Sally. I get why the Olivier Awards performance was polarising, but it was still thrilling, even more so in the actual performamce.

Does Sally still use a hand held mic in some songs? That still baffles me..."

She does.  I was legitimately wondering if her mic went out.  But I think the emcee also used it at times.  I don’t really get it if someone would care to explain.  

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 6:49pm

Skip23 said: "AAAAND.....I can't believe that people on this Board won't acknowledge that everything ANYONEsays here ARE THEIR OPINIONS!!!!! There's no right or wrong. It's just YOUR OPINION!!!!!!


Wait... when did we start having to tack on "IMO" after every post? It's a message board about art, the fact that every review of a show is our opinion is obvious...
"

 

Updated On: 4/2/24 at 06:49 PM

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 7:06pm

Can anyone get a pic of inside? Are the ushers strict ? 

[MemorableUserName]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 7:45pm

pair-o-dice said: "Walked all over the space last night - THERE IS NOT A BAD SEAT IN THE PLACE. Front, back, floor, mezz...all good. Everyone can stop asking :)

Also, wow. It really is great. The whole cast is just incredible.

Observation, and no idea why, for some reason act one seemed really long and act two seemed really short. But minor quibble, because from start to finish its excellent."

For reference sake:

[kdogg36]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 8:08pm

Jordan Catalano said: "Steven Skybell was actually my favorite part of last nightand is probably the best Herr Schultz I've ever seen."

Well, clearly you didn't attend the production of Cabaret at the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University in the spring of 1994. I've heard that a certain actor gave a "wonderful" performance of a "stereotypical elderly Jewish man."

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 8:16pm

jakebloke said: "gibsons2 said: "Are there actual Playbills given to the audience?"

Yes. There are actual playbills. They say Kit Kat Club. "

Did they give them during walk-in or at the end of the performance?

I ask because for the 1998 and 2014 Cabaret revivals by roundabout at Studio54, they handed out the playbill at the end of the performance. 
 

[Fordham2015]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 9:14pm

kdogg36 said: "Jordan Catalano said: "Steven Skybell was actually my favorite part of last nightand is probably the best Herr Schultz I've ever seen."

Well, clearly you didn't attend the production ofCabaretat the Rose Hill campus of Fordham University in the spring of 1994. I've heard that a certain actor gave a "wonderful" performance of a "stereotypical elderly Jewish man.""

"Willkommen, bienvenue, Go Rams?"

[starlightlocamotion]

Posted: 4/2/24 at 9:23pm

Cautiously optimistic that RANKIN will find her Sally ... preview audiences didn't quite warm to Natasha Richardson initially either. There is a lot to unearth with Cabaret. So much to mine out of that material. Fingers crossed the preview period will allow her to usher in a take on Sally that all of us will come to love.

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 12:54am

Gayle Rankin definitely had stage presence when she was Fraulein Kost back in the 2014 Cabaret revival (it was also her broadway debut!) She knows this musical inside & out and with her experience with Sam Mendes back in 2014 and now with Rebecca Frecknall, I'm confident she'll find her footing into this role of a lifetime as Sally Bowles. 

[BoringBoredBoard40]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 1:04am

Any stagedoor reports?

[aj88]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 10:18am

I haven't logged into or been on BroadwayWorld in quite some time, but I did get a chance to attend the Invited Dress that happened this past Saturday so I figured I would hop on to share my thoughts.

First of all, I am definitely a huge fan of Cabaret. I saw the original cast of the '98 revival on my very first trip to NY. It was the first musical at a very young age that made me realize that so much more could be done in terms of darker material. I ended up seeing various incarnations of that production 3 more times, plus I saw the 2014 revival with Emma Stone...and various community and regional productions. It is a musical I am very fond of and for the longest time, I considered it my favorite. 

Seeing something so early on in the process could be slightly detrimental as things could very well be fixed in the next couple of weeks, but on the whole, I was very pleased with this production.

The whole atmosphere of the Wilson is glorious and it was nice seeing the various performers sprinkled throughout the space. And yes, this did make for some long lines and crowding around but I do think some of this will be smoothed over in the coming weeks. Offering a complimentary shot of Peach Schnapps at the door was also a nice touch.

The space is quite impressive and it is hard to believe that it is the same theater I have seen stuff like Jersey Boys and Slave Play in. I sat in the original mezzanine in the center and it was a glorious view. I did get the sense that there were times that our side got more of the focus in terms of blocking but maybe that is something that will be tweaked as well. Regardless of those little glitches, I was very fond of the round stage and how the space reflects something of a crazy sensual Art Nouveau circus.

Performance wise, I can see why some would not take to Eddie Redmayne but I think his distinct vocal style works very well for the MC and I found him to be a lot of fun....and creepy when he truly needed to be. I actually found his rendition of "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" to be very chilling and beautifully arranged. I do think he will be win-competitive for the Tony. 

I wouldn't be shocked if Bebe Neuwirth actually WINS the Tony. I found her to be a wonderful Fraulein Schneider and her rendition of "What Would You Do" is certainly the best I have seen anyone do live...and the audience responded very well to it. To go along with that, Steven Skybell didn't disappoint as Herr Schultz. Considering that character is the bittersweet heart of the show, it is hard not to like whomever plays him but I still think Skybell is luminous. I feel like "Married" is such an unsung moment from the show and he absolutely breaks your heart with it. 

Nastascia Diaz gets the task of playing Fraulein Kost, who comes in and out of the show so quickly that in the wrong hands, the role can basically end up being nothing. Thankfully, she has a glorious presence.

Ato Blankson-Wood...I have to admit, he was the weak link here. Now, there is no denying that Cliff is a difficult role considering he is basically the, ahem, straight man...but I still just feel like he hasn't found the hooks to it yet. That nature definitely affects his scenes with Rankin.

Speaking of Gayle Rankin, I think there is ENORMOUS potential here. There is no doubt that she is a great actress and singer and she had some truly wonderful moments, particularly with "Maybe This Time"...which I found on par with that of Natasha Richardson's. This might seem like an odd nitpick, but I do wish she would work more on making her voice sound less "good" in her singing moments. In the grand scheme, it is simply a role I think she needs to grow into a little more but the framework that is already there is quite good. 

I do think this production may lack a little bit of the emotional punch that others have managed, but I would argue that I found it a bit more chilling at times. In fact, I got literal chills in quite a few moments.

So yes, I was quite pleased with what I saw. In many ways, it might be my favorite production of Cabaret that I have seen.

[Bettyboy72]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 10:40am

I'll be curious to see how well this does. I've fatigued of Cabaret and have no interest in seeing this. The whole concept seems bloated. The first reports here aren't helping.

What may have been lightning in a bottle in the UK may not replicate. I'll see how folks feel over time. Is Eddie Redmayne really a draw? I find that unusual. I've never found him compelling outside of his Oscar winning role. 

Getting there early and all the shenanigans seem exhausting, but maybe that is what people want. Some of these OTT interpretations are lost on me. I hope folks who do go enjoy it. 

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 10:56am

I've heard they give you stickers to put over your cameras on phones which I am a huge fan of. This seems like the kind of experience where you want to be all in and not be distracted by taking selfies, or recording bootlegs. Big fan of this! 

[aj88]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 11:01am

hearthemsing22 said: "I've heard they give you stickers to put over your cameras on phones which I am a huge fan of. This seems like the kind of experience where you want to be all in and not be distracted by taking selfies, or recording bootlegs. Big fan of this!"

Yes this is true. Right as you enter the theater, they put a round sticker over your camera that says "Keep it in the Kit Kat Klub". It was strong enough that after the show, it pulled my lens protector off with it.

[Cape Twirl of Doom]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 11:55am

aj88 said: "hearthemsing22 said: "I've heard they give you stickers to put over your cameras on phones which I am a huge fan of. This seems like the kind of experience where you want to be all in and not be distracted by taking selfies, or recording bootlegs. Big fan of this!"

Yes this is true. Right as you enter the theater, they put a round sticker over your camera that says "Keep it in the Kit Kat Klub". It was strong enough that after the show, it pulled my lens protector off with it."

I’m glad at the invited dress they didn’t actually make us use the stickers! I’m an adult and know not to take photos, I’m not putting sticky residue on my camera lens!

[hearthemsing22]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 11:56am

Cape Twirl of Doom said: "aj88 said: "hearthemsing22 said: "I've heard they give you stickers to put over your cameras on phones which I am a huge fan of. This seems like the kind of experience where you want to be all in and not be distracted by taking selfies, or recording bootlegs. Big fan of this!"

Yes this is true. Right as you enter the theater, they put a round sticker over your camera that says "Keep it in the Kit Kat Klub". It was strong enough that after the show, it pulled my lens protector off with it."
I’m glad at the invited dress they didn’t actually make us use the stickers! I’m an adult and know not to take photos, I’m not putting sticky residue on my camera lens!"

 

Not everyone is as smart or cares as much as you do. They need "content". Absurd. Enjoy the experience and stay in the moment, I say. 

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 12:07pm

To defend the stickers for a second, they don’t leave residue on your lens and are very easy to remove without any trace of them being there. Maybe they’re special stickers but there’s no need to worry. It was odd being part of a curtain call where I saw ZERO phone screens. Haven’t seen that in quite a long time. 
 

 

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/3/24 at 1:21pm

yeah the last time I saw a curtain call with no phones was in TAKE ME OUT. I much prefer these stickers over those pouches.

In London, the first time I watched it the ticket was on my phone so they placed a sticker on my phone camera lens. The second time I watched it, I had a paper ticket and I never took my phone out during walk-in so I didn't get a sticker. In other words, I think they'll only give you a sticker if you're holding your phone as you walk in to the theater.